A Change In Scenery
by Pookax
Summary: AU Fic, no samurai heartthrobs here. Sorry! On a train back to her adopted home town, Chizuru thinks about her past, her rotten luck and how best to deal with acute travel sickness whilst stuck in a packed carriage.
1. Prologue, Departures and Arrivals

_**A Change in Scenery. **_

A few things before allowing you to get to the prologue, a huge thanks to CamillaFierce for being my beta-reader, checking through my work and editing it without a complaint. It really means a lot to me! I've not written anything for myself before, always for other people... So this is a change for me! There is also a massive thanks to Aen Silver Fire for supporting and encouraging me to write this and seek out a beta-reader. You both rock!

General Disclaimer, I do not own Hakuouki.

This is a AU fic, sadly there are no samurai heartthrobs here and there are no honorifics here either!

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**Prologue. Departures and Arrivals.**

The train rocked her aching body back and forth as it shunted further down the tracks. If only the train could sway a little gentler, she could have most certainly been rocked to sleep. Life, she thought, was confusing. One moment people could like you, could be completely fawning over your presence and the next be cursing your very existence. It's why she found the company of the opposite sex easier to tolerate, girls were difficult by nature. Ultra competitive, bitchy and even bullies when it came down to the object of their affection.

She wasn't some mythological demonic succubus, preying on men in the middle of the night. She certainly wasn't a home wrecker or any of the other deliberately nasty names she had been called in the past either. She was a young woman who preferred the company of males who could provide the camaraderie and lack of acidic snide comments. It wasn't that she out-right refused to forge friendships with other women, it was more so that they seemed to reject her or use her as a tool. Like a pawn used for their own gain. The only female friend that she had managed to keep in regular contact with and stay close to throughout her teen years was a very pretty young woman who she affectionately referred to as Sen.

Sen was different than any other girl she had met before. She oozed kindness, caring and charm. A mother figure, if you could actually bring yourself to say something like that about your best friend. She was pretty, beautiful even. She always kept her wonderfully groomed hair long, something which Chizuru couldn't help but envy. She did not even have a single split end in sight! Everything about Sen was perfect and all she could think was that Sen was the embodiment of what she wanted to become.

For a moment, she caught her reflection in the train window. The only word she could think to describe herself with was plain. Plain brown hair, tied loosely over her shoulder in a side ponytail. Plain brown eyes. Plain fashion sense and plain personality. Her self confidence was at an all time low. She knew deep down that when she smiled, her eyes lit up and shone a pretty amber colour. She knew that if she paid a little more attention to her outward appearance, even a simple side ponytail could look incredibly cute with bright hairpins for accessories or free flowing curls to frame her face.

She idly looked down at her phone, wishing that someone, anyone, would be concerned about her well being enough to contact her. This would be the second college she had exchanged to following issues at the previous institutes she attended. She hoped that this time things would be different, be far simpler and much kinder to her. Her life had always been hopping from one place to another, never settling down for too long. Instead of running away to a new place to call home, she was instead returning mainly due to the kind offer from her dear friend Sen. Sen had always been kind and far too generous but it is what made her so special, so unique. Upon hearing of her friend's hardship, she offered her the sofa in her apartment to bunk on until better fortunes blessed her rent-free.

How long had she been stuck on this train, she wondered.

Maybe two hours? Or had it drifted to three somehow?

She stretched in her seat, arms upwards and legs outwards. Her bones groaned. Being cooped up for too long had made her body frustrated at her. It felt twisted and compacted in ways which, before this long journey, she would've written off as impossible. Her stomach lurched in a way which wasn't pleasant, acid tainting her taste buds. Sweat began to drench her brow, drizzle down her face and meander along her features. Instinctively, she brought her hand over her mouth and leaned herself forward to try to ease the urge to bring up what little breakfast she had ate that morning. A fellow passenger, who was stood in the aisle, leaned over and lightly rubbed at her back after noticing how poorly she was handling the constant shaking and rattling of the rickety train.

A dull, monotonous voice came over the announcement system, stating that the next stop was the final stop on this specific line. She knew her journey was almost over and repeated to herself that she only had to endure five more minutes, five more minutes, five more... Her stomach painfully churned once again and she shut her eyes tight. Suffering from a toxic mix of anxiety and general travel sickness wasn't the easiest thing to simply brush off. And as much as the hand on her back comforted her, it didn't stop the horrific urges from within the pits of her stomach.

Two minutes, two more... One more... A rush of air and the train doors had opened.

There she was, Sen, standing in all her radiance and beauty. A classically beautiful woman with a personality to match, refined in both appearance and mannerisms.

"Oh, Chizuru... Was the journey that rough?" Sen asked, her soft voice filled with concern.

"I..." she took in a deep breath before continuing as and when her strength returned, "...I really, really dislike trains."


	2. Chapter 1, I'm Late!

_**A Change In Scenery.**_

**Hello there~!**

Here's the first proper chapter of my little ongoing fic, A Change Of Scenery.

Once again, huge thank you to my beta-reader CamillaFierce. Sorry if I have swamped you over the past few days, I really appreciate your input and help!

If you have any questions about the direction this story is taking, don't hesitate to ask, I'm happy to talk to anyone who will listen when it comes to this little labor of love!

**General disclaimer,** I don't own Hakuouki.

Reviews are pretty cool to receive but don't feel obligated!

As Chapter 2 is completed and ready to be uploaded, I'll be sure to upload it shortly.

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**Chapter 1. I'm Late!**

"Good Morning!" A cheerful, singsong voice attempted to rouse Chizuru from her slumber. In defiance, she turned over and pulled the near by pillow over her head mumbling,

"Just 5 more minutes..." An hour later, unbeknownst to Chizuru, the overly jovial chirps returned.

"Good Morning, Chizuru! You've had your extra 5 minutes beauty sleep, it's time to get up!" Chizuru started rubbing at her eyes attempting to stave off the urge to snooze again, and she then turned her gaze to the wide smile of her friend Sen. 'How could she possibly be so jolly all the time?' she wondered. Mornings had never been the best time for Chizuru, she cherished her sleep and being woken from a especially good dream would typically put a dampener on an entire day. Reluctantly, Chizuru found her voice.

"...Sen, what time is it?"

"The time is now... 10:40am!" With her hands placed firmly on her hips, she replied imitating the well known speaking clock. "What time are you in-"

"Shit! I'm late!" Chizuru cursed, speedily throwing herself up off of the sofa. She staggered across the living room floor and found her way to the bathroom. As she looked into the bathroom mirror, a pair of tired looking eyes stared back at her. There was no way she could make her first lecture or possibly even her second one, judging by the rumoured travel time between Sen's apartment and campus.

"I heard that, Chizuru! While you're in there, be sure to wash that dirty mouth of yours out!" Sen teased through the bathroom door. It wasn't often that Chizuru found herself swearing and one of Sen's guilty pleasures was teasing her occasional use of foul language, it never failed to wind her up. Instead of uttering a witty reply, Chizuru opted to simply roll her eyes and get on with her morning regime beginning with speedily brushing her teeth. "I know you're rolling your eyes at me!" Sen continued, continuing to push all the right buttons to get a rise out of her best friend.

"Shut up!" Chizuru snapped, giggles spilling out of her whilst dealing with a mouth full of frothing toothpaste. Mornings are most certainly going to be interesting living here she thought. Smiling broadly with her lilac toothbrush hanging out of her mouth, it dawned on her that she couldn't waste any more time "talking" with Sen.

After what felt like only seconds, she had showered, washed and dried her hair. She then proceeded to throw on an ensemble which Sen excitedly claimed was cute. A long, light pink, woollen jumper which reached her mid-thighs and a pair of dark skinny jeans which clung to her like a second skin. Upon Sen's insistence, she cracked and allowed her best friend to style her hair. She was late enough as it was already, being even later wasn't going to matter much in the long run. Satisfied with her work, Sen styled her hair in a side ponytail tied sweetly with a silky white and red ribbon. It was her signature style, the only significant difference were the soft curls framing her pale face.

"You really should wear some make-up." Sen smiled, idly threading her fingers through her hair.

"Sen... I'm late enough as it is already. I..." She paused, she knew that attempting to evade the idea would only result in incessant nagging, "Maybe tomorrow, yeah?" She smiled whilst she pulled at her well worn pumps. Sensible footwear for the mad dash across town, she told herself, it was bad enough that all of Sen's hard work would likely be undone in the rush. She also found herself thinking about how smiling so frequently felt really nice even if it did make her cheeks ache.

The dash across town wasn't quite as mad as she imagined. Despite it being close to lunch time, there were surprisingly not too many people on the streets. She followed the well remembered route in her head, half walking half skipping, the various key-chains attached to her bag jingled in perfect timing. Now, time to take a sharp left, she reminded herself.

A small patch of unexpected black ice had her skidding, barrelling straight into the strong arms of a handsome stranger. With her face buried against their clothed chest, she suddenly felt remarkably warm. She was, however, entirely oblivious to the heat spreading over her cheeks in the form of a heated blush. As she took the chance to gaze upon the face of her saviour, she was greeted with a sly smirk. Her saviour was tall, much taller than her, with a head of glistening golden hair and a pair striking crimson eyes. An air of arrogance and self importance hung around him. Chizuru felt intoxicated.

"If you wished to be held in these arms, all you-" He began, his smooth voice acted as a wake up call for her. The words from his mouth felt so perfectly rehearsed, dripping with over familiarity.

"I... Uh, thank you! You're very kind and I'm really late!" She cut him off, immediately pushing herself away from the man. She flashed him a apologetic smile before quickly making a mad dash down the street towards her college. She sadly didn't notice that one of her many beloved key-chains had come undone and now laid in the hands of a stranger. Her mind was filled by the image of the man she just met, he had to be some form of demi-god, he just had to be. No man could be that...

He looked down at the small white and blue _snowman_ in his hand, intrigued by the mascot with a bright friendly smile even whilst it's fangs were so plainly on show. It then hit him, she must've been a fan of one of the many famous games company as he was almost certain this was one of their mascots. Girls always ran towards him, he mused, but this one ran away. She interested him greatly. With his golden ticket in his gloved hand, he couldn't help but smirk yet again.

The college was bustling with activity, students chattering animatedly as they changed from one room to another. Two hours late, what a wonderful impression she would leave on her very first day. In a moment of madness, she pinched at her wrist sharply and scolded herself for allowing this situation to arise. It didn't help that her earlier chance meeting with that man of demi-god potential left her admittedly a little giddy, she really was such a... girl. No, she told herself, she had to focus. Stop it! No thoughts of men or being held in a pair of strong arms...

"Are you lost?" A unidentifiable voice asked her from behind. She quickly turned, blushing fiercely from her less than innocent trail of thoughts, to see a young man around the same age as her looking straight at her. A typical deer in the highlights moment, she thought to herself. He couldn't have looked more different from the man she met earlier. Short, styled mousey brown hair and a pair of rapidly narrowing lilac eyes, his frustration beginning to show in his face. If knew that if she spoke, she'd undoubtedly be tongue tied so instead she opted to nod her head furiously.

"Which class?"

"All I know is that my teacher is called... Hiji.." She paused, trying to desperately to remember the name of the teacher who she had been briefly corresponding with before her arrival.

"Hijikata. Follow the corridor, take the first right and then your destination is the first door on the right."

"Right!"

She reached her designated classroom with ease but, as she went to knock on the door, a swell of anxiety took over her. As a quick method to calm her nerves, she read the gold embossing on the door over and over. Anything to take her mind off of how humiliating it would be to bursting into a classroom late, very late, extremely late.

Toshizo Hijikata. Hijikata. Hiji... Okay, okay, I know I can do this, she told herself. After trio of raps on the door to indicate her presence, she wandered into the classroom. A sea of eyes turned to the intruder, a young girl, who would most certainly feel the wrath of their teacher.

"I'm sorry... for being incredibly late, I got lost on my way here and-"

"You're damn right that you're late. 2 hours. Of a 3 hour lecture."

Any possible excuse which she could think up would not work on this devil of a man. Various students towards the back of the room were chatting amongst themselves, occasionally stealing glances at her. It made her feel increasingly uncomfortable, being the center of attention and interrupting a lesson unintentionally. Spotting a spare seat, unfortunately in the epicenter of the trio chatting amongst themselves, she set her backside down and decided the best course of action would be to pretend that she had not done nothing out of the ordinary. Ignore the look of the students sat beside you, ignore the fact that you are sandwiched between three strangers. Wow, does that window look incredibly inviting. Perhaps, if Hijikata would look away for a minute or two she could make a run for it and just pretend today was all a terrible, terrible dream.

"Pssst!" Someone behind pestered.

"Pssst! Hey! New girl!" Another from the right joined in.

Just an awful dream. An awful dream where two people cannot even do the most basic of things and respect anothers personal space.

"Aww, c'mon... Stop ignoring me." The person from behind whined before deciding, very childishly, to kick at the back of her chair. She jostled forwards and decided to attempt at nipping the rowdy behaviour in the bud. She fixed the person behind her one of her more ferocious glares and to her surprise, the person behind her was kinda cute. She quickly added to her judgement of him and dubbed him annoying with a voice so loud it would rival a loud speaker but regardless, he was cute. Of course, the type of cute such as look at that adorable puppy kinda cute, not cute... cute.

A shaggy mop of brown hair, a goofy smile and a zip up jacket so bright that if you stared at it for too long, your eyes would surely ache. He kicked at her chair once again all the while smiling at her, his eyes brimming with childlike insolence. They sparkled and it irritated her that she kept looking at them, shining a mixture of oceanic blue and forest green depending on the light. Loudspeaker was irritating.

"Oi, new girl. You're staring." The second voice hissed, drawing her attention for a brief second. She feigned ignorance and quickly gave her notes a once over, reading them over and over whilst adding to them ad infinitum. The second person continued to utter words in her direction, taking it as his cue.

"Sh-shut up, I'm trying to pay attention to the lecture." She growled, a futile attempt at coming across dangerously due to the fact her voice barely rose above a whisper.

"You're a bit late for that," he jibed, a wholly satisfied smirk crossing his face, "-since you arrived over two hours late and you've been staring very intently at my friend here." The pencil which she held in her hand snapped at the end and the pieces of the inside sprayed across her neatly written notes leaving faint trails. His expression changed, warped even, his smirk developed into something else... He looked like the cat who had successfully got the sweetest cream. Captain Catface was far more irritating than the Loudspeaker. He was arrogant, so very arrogant. He was also so very handsome. Just what the hell was in the water in this town? Everyone she had met was some form of breathtaking, be it Catface's auburn hair or Loudspeaker's interesting eyes. She noticed he wasn't clean shaven like Loudspeaker but instead sported stubble, a welcome roughness to counter his otherwise perfect complexion. Gods, stop staring Chizuru. Look at something else, anything else.

Wow, was her pencil case the most riveting thing she had seen that day! There were ink stains on the inside and everything! Misshapen erasers had never been so interesting to her. She grabbed one and began to erase the small marks left from the splinters of her pencil, anything to distract her from the pairs of eyes examining her intently. Loudspeaker and Captain Catface truly were unrelenting.

The man sat in-front of her, who both Loudspeaker and Catface spoke with earlier, thankfully hadn't joined in with the ritualistic teasing of her on her first day. Perhaps he actually respected others personal space and was some form of gentleman... He shall be now know as "the Enigma", she declared to herself.

The rest of the lesson went without a hitch due to her refusal to deal with either Catface or Loudspeaker's teasing any further. She repeated the known saying to herself, boys will be boys. Boys will be boys and they were made of slugs, snails and puppy dog tails! After the general lecture finished, the stern faced teacher made his way to her and she mentally prepared herself for the intense scolding she deserved.

"I hope those two did not give you too much trouble," He begun, "I've grown to expect that type of behaviour from Souji but Heisuke as well?"

"I resent that, Hijikata!" Souji, previously known as Catface, groaned. Presumably, that meant Loudspeaker behind her was in fact called Heisuke.

"Boys will be boys, I'm used to it." She sighed, "I really must apologise again for being so late... It really does seem that I'm still in Lady Luck's bad books as I truly did get lost on my way here." She stood, politely regarding her teacher with a nod, and left the trio of boys behind her. If things were to continue in this fashion, she was certain that she would be sprouting a grey hair or two well before her time.

A late lunch wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Sen had insisted on making her lunch despite her insistence that Sen had much more important things to worry about, such as her work. She'd honestly prefer to be tucking into some cheap, greasy, but oh so delicious street food around now but one day Sen would be married off and making some lucky guy boxed lunches so she felt that she should take the offer up before it was too late. Sen's boxed lunches were... not as she expected. The meat was unseasoned and lacking in flavour whilst the vegetables were glazed in some gooey substance which did not taste all too pleasant.

Perhaps Sen wasn't the perfect embodiment of a true lady after all, there was hope for all women if she couldn't even prepare a simple lunch!

Giggling quietly to herself whilst being entirely lost in her thoughts, she didn't realise that once again she had an audience watching her from behind a near by wall.

"You do it." Heisuke groaned, pressing the palms of his hands against Souji's back.

"Your idea, you do it." Souji replied, quickly ducking from view and freeing himself of Heisuke.

"Saito, you'll do it right?" Whining, Heisuke turned to the reluctant third member of their little group.

"This is between you two," He replied coldly, deliberately distancing himself from the pair of bad influences, straight into her field of vision.

She became suddenly aware of the other person around her, due to the shadow cast over her, and quickly stuffed the remnants of her lunch into her bag. She turned her attention to the intruder of her privacy before a realisation hit her, "Oh, you were in my lesson."

"I was?" The one she nicknamed Enigma replied, seemingly little taken aback that she was talking to him. He wasn't the most sociable or approachable person yet she was smiling sweetly at him, not one of his incredibly noisy friends.

"I think so, don't you sit in-front of me? I'm Chizuru, what's your name?" She asked and before she could get another word in, he had replied.

"Saito." He always had preferred to use his surname instead of his given name.

"Well, Saito, it was nice to meet you," she gathered her belongings once again, "but I really should be off, I only just moved here recently and should start looking for a job."

Urged by the pleading looks on both of his friends faces, he reluctantly turned to her whilst mumbling something under his breath, "...hang out?"

A quick read of his body language led her to believe that it was obvious he wasn't the one to initiate this idea and she quickly replied, "Did those guys put you up to this?"

"Yes." Not being one to mince his words or willingly tell a lie, he cut straight to the point.

"Well then, maybe... when they ask me themselves." With that said, she was gone.


	3. Side Story, Distractions with Saito

_**A Change In Scenery, Side Chapter.**_

Time for something a little different a little side chapter with "The Enigma", Saito.

As for those who were asking, there isn't a set pairing in this as yet. Everyone has a chance to win the heart of the lovely Chizuru but since I am undecided are there any preferences? Providing I stay inspired and writers block doesn't defeat me – I intend to write a mini side chapter for each of the men. Any requests? I've got a Souji one finished, ready to sit between Chapter 2 and 3 for all those interested.

Once again, thanks to my wonderful beta-reader CamillaFierce and thanks to all who left a review on the previous update and those who decided to read my little ramblings. I am truly overwhelmed by the positive response my first "proper" chapter had and hope to keep on delivering! You're all wonderful, wonderful people and I'm so glad I took the plunge.

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**Distractions, a Saito side-story.**

The library was almost empty save for a few students dotted around studying diligently. The bag on her arm was heavy, filled to the brim with thick, dusty text books. This library was so different from the one at her last college. It felt more formal, more structured and impossible. There was no chance she would be able to concentrate in such a stuffy room with such a drowning atmosphere.

A flash of muddled indigo caught her eye. The Enigma, Saito, was here.

Heaving her books a little further, she took the free seat to his right. Each book sat in its rightful place in the stacked tower with her phone resting on top. Just as she was about to rummage for her pencil case which was naturally at the bottom of her bag, Saito quietly spoke up.

"Phones should be turned off in here." He muttered, eyes refusing to leave the offending object. It was pink, as he expected. Various little charms hung from the corner, each a different colour and size.

"Ah... Of course. I am expecting an important text message from my..." Her words faltered, she didn't wish to bring up the strained relationship between her and her twin brother just yet with one her new acquaintances, "my friend..."

"Silent mode will be sufficient. Just...don't let it distract me." Usually he would've been insistent that the rules were to be followed strictly but the way her words reached his ears, sounding uncertain and even a little tentative, he found himself advocating the slight bending of them.

His attention turned back to the book he was re-reading, for what had to be the tenth time, a book revolving around heroes of the past, when factions solved their differences with swords and not through drawn out diplomatic discussions. Occasionally, he found his eyes peering over to his right to the girl and it thoroughly confused him. Why was she so interesting to him?

The feeling which warmed his chest when he noticed her idly wrapping curled strands of hair around her finger was entirely new for him. With his eyes forced back to the book, he found himself thinking about the oddest things. Girls.

Girls were complex beings, that he always knew. If they weren't demanding one thing, they were wishing for the exact opposite. Women nearly always fell into two categories. They either dreamed of a dashing blonde knight in shining armour with the finest white horse or the cold ice king. The ice king with long raven hair, never one to dare share his emotions with his love, instead choosing to leave them bottled up.

There were times when he could feel her eyes on him and to his surprise, when he looked up, she was smiling. The corner of his lips quivered and awkward smile of his own graced his lips.

Distractions aren't always bad.


	4. Chapter 2, Boyfriend? Boy friend

_**A Change In Scenery.**_

And here it is, chapter 2!

I'm honestly not overly fond of how this turned out but since it is finished and has passed through my lovely beta-reader CamillaFierce I decided that I should upload it! Thanks to her once again for working on this diligently and correcting any and all of my elementary mistakes. And again, I must stress thanks to all my wonderful reviewers, I hope I don't disappoint with this latest update. As I mentioned in the previous one, I'm planning on making the choice in romantic partner for Chizuru entirely up to my audience so...Be sure to tell me! I don't mind how so feel free PM me, leave a review with your choice or heck I'll even set up a poll in my profile once I figure out how to!

At last count, gathering votes from my friends and from my beta-reader, Souji was just beating Saito by one vote so we'll see what happens, eh?

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**Chapter 2: Boyfriend? Boy Friend!**

A comfortable end to a otherwise hectic day was just what Chizuru wanted and needed. Lounging around in the sofa, which was now her bed, with her best friend in tow seemed the most obvious option. Leaning against each other for support, they began to chat about the going ons in Chizuru's very adventurous first day.

"A man like that, Chizuru, with so much charm at his disposal is a very dangerous man." Sen's face straightened, the frown on her face displaying just how deadly serious she was about this handsome stranger which her friend had bumped into.

"Did I mention he looked a demi-god, Sen? He was very, very handsome." Chizuru replied, her arm snaking around her friends and she couldn't help but let out a giggle. She never was one of those girls who gushed on and on about attractive boys, men, could be but ever since that morning they were all she couldn't think about.

"Demi-god? More like a demon of old with that silver tongue of his!" Sen replied, a slight smile curving up on her lips. Any man who managed to get her friend so flustered and hot under the collar after a chance meeting must be muttering some dark incantation. Or they're a descendant of a pure blooded demon. Chizuru was not some push over when it came to men, she could wrangle with the best of them and then this "demi-god" waltzes into her life, utters a few well rehearsed lines whilst oozing arrogance... It irritated Sen, not that she would openly admit it.

"Demons do not exist, Sen..." Chizuru replied, a smile of her own gracing her lips. She couldn't help but wonder, what would a demon even look like? All stories she had read about them as a child had them described as silver haired makers of mayhem.

"Nor do demi-gods!" Sen quickly retorted, a little louder than expected, causing a pout to exchange places with the smile on Chizuru's lips. They both looked at each other, holding their current expressions, trying to force the other to back down, to admit that maybe demi-gods and demons do exist. Without another word, they both broke into childish fits of laughter.

Weeks passed since that day. School continued as it had begun, hectic. She took pleasure in her occasional late lunch talks with Saito and it soon became a staple in her school week. Once or twice, Souji and Heisuke would join them both and drown them out with petty arguments over the most mundane topic. She didn't, wouldn't, complain as she found herself oddly enjoying their company. Sometimes, the lunch time meetings with Saito could be so quiet that she swore she could hear her own brain whirring as it worked on finding a suitable topic to chat about. With that thought, she concluded that any additional company was always welcome.

For some reason or another, she decided to tell them about that man she met on her way to college on her first day. Unreadable expressions clouded her friends faces.

"Do you like guys like that?" Heisuke asked, leaning forwards and displaying far too much interest in the subject of her love life for her liking.

"Well, no. Not really." Chizuru replied, spooning a mouthful of her sweet dessert into her mouth. In the last few weeks Sen had dramatically improved in regards to making her boxed lunch and it was now a joyous moment in her busy day to sit and eat lunch. She took a moment to savour the taste, the spoon hanging inelegantly out of her mouth.

"So, what type of guys do you like?" He continued with the topic of regarding her interests in men, taking the opportunity to place his hands on her knees and gaze straight into her eyes.

"One's who aren't completely desperate, right, Chizuru?" Souji joked, jabbing his friend in the ribs with his sharp elbow whilst shooting a wink in Chizuru's direction. "Or maybe, you like the type who are all quiet and mysterious, right?"

"Or maybe, Souji, I like the type who assume they can read me like a open book so I can lay on a nice surprise later?" She took the spoon from her mouth and gazed upwards at the sky, "Honestly? I don't know what 'type' I prefer. Can we please change the subject? You're beginning to sound like Sen."

"Sen? Who is that?" Heisuke asked, his hands tightening on both of her knees a little.

"My best friend, room-mate and personal stylist. Her words, not mine." Chizuru flinched a little as he squeezed at her knees and took him by each wrist, placing his hands back on his lap.

"Oh! So, not your boyfr-" He piped up but was unable to finish due to Souji's interruption.

"You should introduce us some time." He grinned, a predatory grin, whilst rubbing at the stubble underneath his chin. Just what was he thinking about?

"...Maybe." Chizuru eventually replied.

The thoughts of these three men being around Sen filled her with a little uneasiness. It wasn't that she didn't trust Sen but more so that she didn't know how these three men would act around her dearest friend. She was so... Sen. Many different thoughts and emotions ran through her for a split second. What if Sen didn't like them or they didn't like Sen? What if Sen did like them, as in really liked them? Would she be jealous? Would Sen treat her differently for being able to spend time with them whilst she had to work? No, Sen wasn't like that and it'd take more than a few pretty boys with equally pretty words to change her, Chizuru knew this.

Over familiarity was an accurate description which related to two of these three men perfectly. These three men who had pushed their way into her life despite her initial objections. What would happen when they eventually got girlfriends of their own? Would she be forced to choose between their blossoming friendship or their individual happiness as she has had to many times before? She never intended for history to repeat itself, to allow herself to even consider these men as her friends let alone introduce them to the closest person to her but it seemed she would have little choice. They could've asked to meet her absent father, meet her overbearing twin brother and she would've laughed at their request. But Sen was different.

Was she really this insecure? She never did cease to amaze herself.

She threw on her brightest smile to distract herself from the questions which she asked herself. But wait, did she just honestly think of these three men as her friends?

Slapping one of his own knees, Heisuke had suddenly remembered something. With a wide grin and slightly flushed cheeks, he turned to Chizuru and asked, "You up to hanging out with us this afternoon, Chizuru?"

"You wont let me say no, will you?" Chizuru tugged at one of the few curls which framed her face, one of a few nervous traits which she had recently picked up since Sen insisted on styling her hair daily. That girl had too much time on her hands...

"No, he will not." A ghost of a smile showed on Saito's face as he answered, so matter of factly.

"'Ey! Saito, don't sell me out so easily." Heisuke whined. Chizuru had become used to his childish outbursts over the past few weeks, despite his insistences that he was a mature man and it was in fact Saito and Souji who were the childish ones.

"Are you sure, this afternoon?" Souji asked, his eyes set on Chizuru as she ate her lunch without another word, "You do know today is Friday, right? Well, no matter, the more the merrier!" He smirks and he knows that the scenes he would witness that evening would be worth all and any of the potential fall-out it may bring.

The state of their flat didn't exactly surprise her, what did surprise her were the two strange men lounging on their sofa, watching overly made up women gyrate around in time to what could be called music. As her eyes examined the room, a calendar took her interest. A woman with legs spread, her modesty protected by a see-through white bikini bottom, and a pair of breasts so fake that she couldn't help but laugh. All eyes on her as she held onto her sides, afraid she would lose herself if she didn't hold on for dear life.

How predictable, she thought to herself. Instead of explaining her sudden outburst of laughter, she took it upon herself to search their fridge. Beer. Many, far too many bottles of beer. She let out a sigh, what a interesting evening she was in for. Beer and strange men. From the corner of her eye, she spotted one of the men on the sofa timidly try to hide one of _those_ trashy magazines beneath a near by cushion.

"Heisuke, you don't happen to have any tea, do you?" She sighed, rubbing at her arm. It was far too early in the day to start the heavy drinking and she was determined to put it off as long as possible.

"Don't tell me you don't drink?" One of the men from the sofa remarked.

"There are people who don't drink and don't want to start while it is still light outside." She shot back at the unknown man, grabbing one of the many tea mugs which hung up and flicked the electric kettle on with her little finger.

"Cupboard above your head, top shelf." Heisuke replied, throwing himself down on the sofa between the two new men. And at that moment, Chizuru felt a sense of dread.

She would either need to swallow her pride, ask one of the taller men for their help or be thankful that she chose a pair of tailored shorts over a skirt that morning when she got dressed. She was not about to ask for help, no, never. She was meant to be a independent, strong woman but the idea of climbing up onto the work surface, balancing precariously on her knees whilst rooting around in the cupboard for the tea bags didn't sound too appealing. Plus, it would be just her luck that as she reached up into the cupboard, a tiny portion of her stomach would put on show for all to see and then... all hell would break loose.

"C-Could..." swallowing her pride was a difficult task, especially when around people who would happily tease her for doing so, "Could someone please help me? I can't reach." She let out a sigh, throwing her eyes downcast to the floor but before she knew it, one of the two men who were earlier sat on the sofa had appeared behind her.

He was rather tall, she thought to herself, so much taller than her. He also had a rather broad chest, a chest which no doubt offered many girls a moment of protection. Why did that thought irk her so much? She would also bet her money on him having a different girlfriend lined up for each season of the year or at least a queue of them in wait, ready to throw themselves at him. His russet hair was rather long, shaggy and it really did suit him. He was incredibly attractive and he most certainly knew it if that confident grin was anything to go by.

She turned away from facing him, instead choosing to face the wall, being this close to someone always made her incredibly uncomfortable.

"I don't think I ever caught your name," The man spoke as he reached up into the cupboard, retrieving the teabags with little ease. "I'm Sanosuke but I'm sure that I wouldn't mind if you also chose to call me Sano, everyone else does."

"I'm Chizuru," she mumbled, refusing to meet his gaze, "and thank you."

"Sano really is a hit with the ladies..." The muscular man groaned, pushing his hands back through his hair in exasperation.

"Shinpachi!" Heisuke shouted and a scuffle broke out in the living area. Chizuru was completely oblivious as to why they were wrestling with each other and she didn't care to know. She knew better than to attempt to get between warring men.

Thanks to the kindness of Sano, she was able to toss one of the teabags into her mug. Now to add Milk, two sugars and some hot water for a lovely, indulgent drink. As soon as he had appeared, he disappeared back to his seat on the sofa. She swore she heard him mutter something about how such behaviour wasn't polite in front of ladies. She hummed to herself, dancing around the small kitchen area as she added each necessary ingredient, unaware that a third wrestler had reluctantly entered the ring.

"One sugar, then add another just for good measure and then swirl the milk in.." She recited to herself, enjoying her tried and tested method of making the perfect cup of tea. She was never one for the healthier green tea, opting instead for a cup of sugar and sweetness. The kettle whistled, signalling it was ready to play its part and she poured just enough scorching hot water into the mug.

"Heisuke... Where are the spoons?" She asked, tipping her head so that she could see him. He was still busy, now warring with both of the men beside him. Clicking her tongue in impatience, he turned his head to her and despite being entirely out of breath, he gave her an answer.

"Drawer, to your right," he muttered. He really was like a feisty puppy, toughing it out against two much larger, much stronger dogs.

The one she hadn't been introduced to just yet had muscles to rival a professional sportsman, his arms were so large and defined. She remembered that he was also the one who had attempted to hide that trashy magazine when she arrived. She wondered why, she had seen plenty of trashy lad's mags in her time. He was certainly something... else, that was for sure. Perhaps he just hadn't met the right type of lady yet to tame his hotheadedness. As she pondered further about this man, she oddly came to the conclusion that if she was to offer to order pizzas at that precise moment, he was demand a meat feast with extra toppings. He definitely looked like the type.

Taking a sip from her milky, sweet tea was the perfect remedy for their loud and rowdy behaviour, she constantly found her eyes trailing over to Heisuke and inside she willed for him to somehow overcome adversity and "win". His cheeks flushed brightly, he had noticed her intent gaze on him and he suddenly had either the strength or willpower to toss the muscular man cleanly off of him.

As a seat had become free on the sofa, like a snake, she slid down from the arm into her newly claimed seat with a satisfied smile on her face. When she looked at the face of the muscular man whom Heisuke recently threw off of him, a pang of guilt took over her.

"Ah... I'm sorry, I didn't think. I could be considered rude stealing the seat of a wounded man... Would you like the seat back?" She asked him, taking another mouthful of her sweet tea.

"But..." He thought, trying hard to remember some of the suave pick up lines that Sano insisted worked on all of the ladies, all of the time, "You'd have no where to sit apart from my lap."

"Shinpachi!" Heisuke cried.

She choked. Her face burned. She did not expect that reaction from him and wished for the cushions on the sofa to open and consequently engulf her in it's belly. Being eaten by a sofa would be far more agreeable than facing the man grinning before her whilst her face burned so brightly. Her tea! It worked last time and would hopefully work a second time. She raised the cup to her face and took a deep gulp, she willed for her insides to calm down as they were performing both back flips and front flips.

Something hard smacked her cleanly in the side, snapping her swiftly back into reality, the immediate shock was followed by a searing pain. The last few mouthfuls of her tea had spilled all down her jumper and the cup was laid in her lap, entirely empty. She fixed a glare towards the culprit who just so happened to be that man with the russet coloured hair, if Heisuke's pointing was to be believed.

She placed the cup down on the near by table, turning away from the two men who now looked nothing like their former selves, macho and energised, and had instead been replaced by two very naughty children. Her face felt like it was on fire, frustration and embarrassment really were a deadly mix of emotions to feel all at once. Instead of the smile she frequently wore, a pout was fixed on her lips and her cheeks were puffed out like a hamster.

She had reverted to being four again.

When she was younger, she and her twin brother would often get into playful scuffles which often resulted in her being covered in something. Be it mud, tea, water or juice. It would end up all over her and she would pout, much like she was pouting at that moment.

"Are you okay, Chizuru? You are really burning up..." Souji cooed from behind, straight into her ear so that his breath would tickle at her neck. She swore to herself that if she turned around and he was smirking, she would strike that man down with the force of a thousand suns. From within, a urge arose. How wonderful it would feel to make that man taste the wrath of a woman wronged by tossing a cushion at him with all her strength. She knew that despite how satisfying it would feel, it would be dreadfully rude and instead opted to take in a deep breath and ignore his presence directly behind her. He really was like a predator on the prowl and she was not going to willingly be his prey. Not today.

Time passed on and they all fell into a routine. Someone, Souji or the man she now knew as Shinpachi, would say something highly inappropriate to Chizuru. She'd blush and they'd all find themselves laughing at her immediate innocent reactions. She wasn't like many other girls they knew, she didn't flirt as a matter of course nor flutter her eyelashes so that she could get her own way. She smiled only when she meant it, it was an endearing trait which they appreciated. She'd even laugh at their crappy jokes or jibes at each other, and she never demanded them to stop their in-fighting. She just went with the flow and didn't impose herself on them.

The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky a beautiful mixture of orange, red and pink. She couldn't help but stare at the beautiful sight as she stood by the window. If this was to be her life from now on, she could probably learn to love it. These guys were loud and rowdy but different. They smiled with all of their face, the skin around their eyes would crinkle as they laughed themselves silly and it made her feel at ease, welcome into their little circle. A cold bottle was pressed into her hand, drawing her attention from the setting sun.

"Don't worry, it's not beer... I ordered some bottles of cola along with our pizzas, I thought you'd prefer a fizzy drink rather than be subjected to our taste in alcohol." The man who helped her earlier, Sano, smiled at her.

"Oh, thanks." She turned her attention back to the setting sun, "You're too kind, anyone would think you had an ulterior motive."

"And if I did?" He replied, stretching his arm against the wall as a makeshift prop. To his disappointment, she didn't reply to him and just stood staring out at the sky whilst occasionally taking a swig of the cold cola in her hands. She wanted to tell him she'd have to disappoint him, that she didn't "do" relationships, that boys were nothing but trouble, but she'd be lying, not only to him but to herself.

She wanted nothing more than a relationship with someone she liked but she was terrified, terrified of falling in love and eventually being pushed away. Being forgotten, being... alone. As long as she was to remain friends, there was never the chance of her being pushed away, being traded in for a prettier model and most importantly of all, there was no chance of heartbreak. If her relationship with her father taught her anything, it was to keep men at arm's length, they'd end up betraying your idealised image of them. Never allow yourself to get too close to them as you'll end up hating yourself for years to come.

Dinner was eventful. Shinpachi took every opportunity to steal toppings from Heisuke's slices of pizza, proudly declaring that he needed more meat than Heisuke due to his hulking body. True to the Heisuke, she had grown to know, he would complain that he was still growing and needed as much food as possible if he was to ever compare with Shinpachi or Sano. Several bottles of beer disappeared down their necks, the atmosphere becoming ever more playful as time passed.

"Chizuru!" Heisuke slurred, grinning from ear to ear, "Truth or dare?"

"Do I have to..?" She mumbled, barely loud enough for anyone else to hear, "Truth, I guess?"

"What was the name of the last guy you dated?" He giggled, much like how she and Sen would giggle together when discussing boys, his cheeks showing just how little tolerance for alcohol he had.

"Ah..." Her gaze dropped down to her hands, fiddling awkwardly on her lap. How dare he ask her something like that! How bold he got after a few units of alcohol passed down his neck! "I've never..."

"Never?! Never dated anyone?" Heisuke seemed shocked but a part of him, deep down, was pleased with that admission, "But you're so pretty! And clever! And-"

"I admit, I'm a little shocked." Sano interjected, "But, Chizuru, any guy would be lucky to date such a lovely lady as you." He appeared entirely unaffected despite the words he used, taking another deep swig from his forth bottle of beer. There, it was out in the open, she thought. She had never dated, never held hands and never dared to think about kissing another person.

"Chizuru, you've never even kissed a guy?" A voice, the very one she did not want to hear, teased.

"And you have?" She bit back, staring down a smirking Souji. She knew that if she was to stand a chance against this man, she would have to play him at his own game.

"Once or twice," He laughed, implying all sorts of situations to the gob smacked girl. She wanted to whine, wanted to groan that even Souji was more experienced with men than she was. "Which means I'm the perfect person to take the role of teaching you, wouldn't you agree?"


	5. Side Story, Sweet Dreams with Souji

_**A Change in Scenery, Side Chapter.  
**_

Consider this a late Christmas present from me to you, I did intend to upload this yesterday but a mixture of my internet failing to load this site and a persistent headache stopped me. So, here we go... I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks once again to my lovely beta-reader CamillaFierce for looking over this, she's truly awesome.

Merry (late) Christmas, everyone! I hope you had a lovely day if you celebrated, if not, I hope your Wednesday rocked!

My future updates may not be as frequent as I would like, I'm undertaking a super secret project but that doesn't mean I shall forget about this. I already have up to Chapter 4 written and Chapter 5 planned! Until the new year the decision on who Chizuru should end up with lays with you, my super lovely readers, so please make your voice heard!

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**Sweet Dreams, a Souji side-story.  
**

"Sweet dreams!" He called after the frustrated girl, the door consequently slammed in his face was something which he knew he deserved. Her limit when it came to his teasing antics was well and truly peaked.

'Sweet dreams, sweet dreams... Sweet dreams?! He has some nerve,' she thought as she stomped her way home. She wasn't about to lie and proudly state that she was in fact some temptress in the bedroom but his offer of one on one tuition was something else. How dare he?!

Yes, she knew it was likely that the alcohol in his system had done the talking on his behalf but she couldn't help but feel offended and belittled by his cheeky remarks. In the sanctuary of her own room, she readied herself for bed. Dressed in her favourite sleepwear, a large t-shirt which entirely swamped her frame, she fell into sleeps welcoming embrace.

Dreams for Chizuru were always the same, pleasant little reminders of her childhood past. Innocent sing songs with the boy who shared her face and jumping all too enthusiastically in muddy puddles. Tonight, for Chizuru, her dream would be led in a different direction thanks to a all too intrusive man.

_She was sprawled back on satin sheets, the sleepwear she chose riding up her stomach, dark curls loose around her shoulders whilst fistfuls were clamped in another's hand. Her own were roaming a well built body, her fingertips never told a lie. Lips locked, breathing unsteady, she was lost to the guilty pleasure. With her eyes closed, she was never going to see the satisfied smirk on her lovers face nor the thick mane of auburn hair hanging loosely over his shoulder. _

_Only when a hand crept up her thigh then up along the curvature of her hip, setting her senses aflame, did her eyes peer open with curiosity. She wanted to see just who it was precisely she was dreaming of enjoying this sinful tryst with and it was then that she saw the sharp, emerald eyes taunting her. _

"_...Captain Souji?" She forced out, her breathing still erratic and unsteady. With her brain still recovering from the remarkable feel of his lips against hers, she muddled his given name with the nickname she had privately dubbed him. _

"_Captain?" He purred, obviously a fan of the mix up of names, his words reverberating against her exposed neck. The Souji she was dealing with in her dream was just as unforgiving as the real thing, teasing her even in the midst of something so... intimate. "I like the sound of that."_

To say it was a sweet dream was an understatement, it was something new, something pleasant but something Chizuru never wanted to repeat. Reoccurring lustful dreams about a man who tormented her daily life was something she could definitely do without, no matter how nice they may have been to experience this one time. Dealing with the real Souji was more than a handful. But having to also deal with a second one, one who could dominate her dreams so freely, would surely leave her physically exhausted and mentally broken.

She vowed to herself that she would never, ever, mention to this anyone. Especially Sen. Falling into her daily routine, brushing memories of her unusual dream to the back of her mind, she reached for her phone. A single message illuminated the screen.

_Sweet dreams? _


	6. Chapter 3, Maid for you

_**A Change In Scenery.**_

And here it is, Chapter 3. I've had this ready for a while but other commitments have kept me busy such as Christmas and oh, of course, helping write _Worth Fighting For_ with Aen Silver Fire. You really should check that out if you have the time but rest assured, I am not abandoning this. As it currently stands, Souji is winning the running vote. Should I add a poll to my profile to help tally everything up?

As usual, a massive thanks to CamillaFierce for beta-reading this and generally putting up with influx of documents from me, you do something I certainly couldn't.

I hope you enjoy this, thank you to all the wonderful people leaving reviews... I should probably start being a little more proactive when it comes to replying to reviews, eh? I'll make that my new-years resolution.

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**Chapter 3: Maid for you.**

"Is that really all that happened, Chizuru?" Sen asked, peering over the top of her magazine with her beady eyes focused on her friends pretty made-up face. Ever since Chizuru took a job at this well known, vastly popular cafe, she had to doll herself up every afternoon and evening. With a thin layer of make-up and a pair of false eyelashes to accentuate her beautiful, wide brown eyes, she really did look breathtaking. No matter how many times Sen insisted this fact, she would only shyly reply under her breath that she was no rival to her friends natural beauty.

"Really! He teased me, saying he was the most qualified to teach me and...well, you know the rest." Chizuru replied with a sigh, swirling the melting ice in her drink around in a circular motion. Working so frequently was tiring her out and to make it worse, she hadn't been able to spend much time with any of her friends in a while. They'd surely think that she's ignoring them when she had, in fact, been working her behind off. So, if there were any unexpected birthdays or celebrations cropped up, she could repay their kindness with a gift or two.

"I still think you should've taken him up on that offer..." Sen giggled from behind her magazine.

"Sen!" Chizuru scolded, "You know I'm not that type of girl!" A voice in the back of her mind spoke up, reminding her that she was the one to dream a dream so...

"Sometimes, I wonder." Sen remarked, wiggling her perfectly preened eyebrows suggestively.

"Ah... My break's over," Chizuru sighed, adjusting the frilly apron tied neatly around her waist. She bid her friend a sad goodbye before disappearing into the staff only area.

Down the street, not too far away, a duo of exceedingly frustrated men dragged along with them a quiet-as- ever third party. The louder two seemed confused while the third was calm.

"She's been ignoring us since that night." Souji grumbled, scratching at his stubbly chin. His thoughts rushed back to the night they were speaking about, how he let the alcohol pulsing in his system do the talking.

"I think she's just ignoring you, Souji, you're the one who offered to-" Heisuke sighed, pushing his fingers back through his matted mess of hair. Remembering that night, how Chizuru stormed off and couldn't bare to make eye contact with him for several days, pained him.

"You asked her about her past catalogue! You're not exactly innocent here!" Souji sniped, his eyes narrowing in a dangerous manner. "You know, for that, I should really kill ya'." The way his hair fell caused a very intimidating shadow to loom over his eyes. He was not about to have all the blame laid at his door, despite knowing that he probably did push things a little too far between them both.

"She's barely even texting me anymore." Heisuke began to whine, checking his phone for the third or fourth time that afternoon. "Even then, she normally replies that she's busy or she's working or studying... She's just too polite to tell me to go screw."

"Probably because she's scared that you'd get the entirely wrong idea," Souji smirked, snatching his friend's phone from his hand. The screen was covered in finger and thumb prints, feeling disgustingly sweaty to the touch. Flicking through the various text messages from Chizuru, he noticed that the over use of emoticons wasn't something he was solely privy to. That irked him.

_I'm at work again today, maybe another time? ._.;_

_**Chizuru, 40 minutes ago.**_

_were r u workin?_

**Sent 35 minutes ago.**

They continued down the busy street, swearing they heard her voice carried on the wind. It sounded like she was scolding that ever elusive friend of hers, Sen. The source of her voice was at a small, popular, cafe a few doors down from where they were currently stood. Like a flash, they swore as she appeared before them, then just as quickly disappearing into the 'Staff Only' part of the building, leaving a sniggering young lady alone. Sen.

Barrelling up the lone girl, Heisuke grinned widely. "You're that one girl!"

"Pardon?" She replied in confusion, her long eyelashes fluttering as she blinked several times over.

"From his dreams, of course." Souji added, leaning on the small table to get a better look at the girl. The 'infamous' Sen, the girl who Chizuru idolized. She wasn't as pretty as Chizuru insisted, at least not to Souji. Sure, she may had classical femininity on her side with a pair of wide brown eyes and a pretty pair of lips but she sure as hell was no Chizuru. She most certainly wouldn't blush if he decided to make advances on her, she'd probably welcome them with a giggle and then push for more. On cue, she let out a overly girly giggle hidden by her hand placed in front of her face at the opportune moment.

"Souji! She's Sen." Heisuke frowned, his lips pursing tightly together as he took yet another bout of teasing from his friend. Ever since Chizuru had started being so 'busy', Souji had taken it upon himself to find another target for his torments and, unfortunately for Heisuke, he was said target.

"Oh? You know my name?" She asked, tilting her head off to one side so that the long, free strands of her hair dangled down over her face in a vain attempt to look cute. It was then that things finally clicked for her. These must've been the friends from college which Chizuru had been speaking about. "Wait... You must be Chizuru's friends, correct?"

Souji and Heisuke took the question as an unspoken invite to sit with the girl, Saito still standing until a forceful yank from one of the others left him with little choice but to sit with a sore arm to boot. Sen was about to speak when the one with matted, brown hair called a nearby waitress so that he and his friends could order of their own to drink as they discussed pressing matters.

"Yup! I'm Heisuke, he's Souji and the quiet one is Saito." Heisuke addressed each of his friends as he introduced them to Sen, "And we know you're Sen so that makes things a little easier."

"She really should've taken him up on his offer." Sen whispered to herself, eyes scanning over the one who was introduced as Souji. He certainly had a certain... je ne sais quoi. "I can't help but wonder if there is any reason behind this?" She trailed her eyes over each and every man sat in front of her, admittedly a little confused as to why they suddenly decided to interrupt her sparse free time.

"Chizuru's been ignoring us..." Heisuke whined, not giving any of the other two a chance to speak. "Or maybe she's just ignoring me and punishing my friends for-"

"She's not ignoring any of you unless she's also ignoring me, she's just working every possible shift available under the sun." Sen sighed. It wasn't surprising that they, too, were feeling ignored by Chizuru. Whenever she chose to work in the past, her social life would suffer greatly.

From inside the cafe. a waitress appeared with a black tray balanced on the tips of her fingers. Chestnut hair tied into a high ponytail, loose curls restrained in a silky white and red ribbon. Her dainty heels clicked as she approached each specific customer and placed their designated drink down, a soft blush dusted her cheeks. They hadn't noticed her just yet, thankfully.

"Your change, sir." She spoke clearly, confidently, as she placed the couple of coins from her apron beside his glass from behind. Without intending to, her bare arm grazed along his own.

"...Yeah, thanks." Heisuke mumbled, counting the change carefully. Thankfully for Chizuru, he was oblivious to the faint body contact. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts of how he couldn't be too careful in a place like this. Even a penny missing would result in a complaint from him.

Saito's attention was on the girl who stood behind Heisuke wearing the frilly outfit, the confidence she tried to portray was betrayed by the terrified look which showed in her eyes when he laid his own on her. The outfit suited her, he thought, even if it did leave very little to the imagination... Not that he was thinking of her in that manner but he had to admit that the idea of other men seeing her in it made him feel somewhat uneasy. The red bow tied around her neck made her look more like a forbidden gift than a serving girl. At least, for the time being, the others had not noticed that it was her.

"Saito, you'll scare the poor girl off." Souji commented, not one to miss an opening to tease the usually emotionally deficient member of their group. "I love this place already," he continued, his eyes purposely, slowly examining the waitress, "A cute maid tending to my every whim... I could get used to this."

The eyebrow of said cute maid twitched in disbelief whilst her cheeks, which were once dusted with a light blush, flared a deep crimson. She dug her perfectly manicured nails into her palms despite the feeling of relief that his flirty comments were directed towards anything of the female sex and not reserved only for her.

"Aren't I right, Chizuru?" He smirked, tipping his head back to address her. He had her figured out? Since when? As she turned to reprimand him for bothering her at work of all places, the sound of a camera shutter clicked. The smug look on Souji's face was enough to try the patience of a saint, she twitched a little albeit involuntarily.

"...Sen, is this your doing?" She asked, turning to her dearest friend, confused. She thought that she looked unrecognisable in this get up but within minutes of being around her friends, two of three had seen through her.

"Hrm?" Sen hummed, "Oh, no... We were just talking about how you've been so busy with work and then you appeared out of thin air." She reached out to her friend, placing her hand on top of her own. "I'd never sell you out to them for all the tea in-"

"Chizuru~! Talking of tea, my tea is cold!" Heisuke interrupted, a broad grin replacing his previously complacent expression. 'Such a clever ruse,' he thought to himself. When she leaned between him and Saito, he took a closer look at her face. He hadn't seen her wear make up before. He had his preferences and she wasn't his usual type that was for sure. In the past, he would've been all over a girl in such an outfit, making goofy remarks much like Souji. But when it came to Chizuru, he knew that she looked best dressed down with large jumpers which swamped her petite body and a bare face, free of all that artificial crap.

He noticed the perplexed look on Saito's face and realized that she had gradually become an object of desire between the pair of them. If Chizuru was to ever take up dating, he hoped that it would be with one of the two of them so at least he could be able to keep an eye on her. A girl like her should not have her heart broken.

"Heisuke! ...You fib, you're awful." She grumbled, refusing to meet his gaze in mock disappointment then quickly turning to her friend, Sen. "Can I leave these guys in your reliable hands? I'm concerned that if I go attend another customer that they'll only... distract another member of staff and I'll be the one who gets in trouble for their behaviour."

"Can't I request that you become my personal maid, Chizuru? Would you prefer that option?" Souji enquired, not a smirk or trace of torment lined his face which left her a little uneasy to say the least. If she wasn't certain that he was pulling her leg, making a joke of her once again, she would entertain the idea he was being deadly serious.

"Eh?!" She squeaked. The anticipation and uncertainty eating away at her while awaiting his response brought memories of her most recent dream. That dream of hers was not going to become reality, she decided. She would to put a stop to it before it could even begin. "I am not going to call you Captain!"

"But shouldn't you be calling me Master, Chizuru? Though... I could get used to that, you calling me Captain. Captain Souji Okita, it has a nice ring to it, ne?"


End file.
